History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 65

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 65

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A subscription for funds to pay for the church was made about this time. The paper is as follows:

"COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, Sept. 1749.

"Whereas there are a considerable number of persons in and about the town of Huntington of the Church of England, and there being no convenient house to meet in, we the subscribers do promise and agree to pay the respective sums to our names annexed, unto Henry Lloyd, of the manor of Queens Village, on or before the first day of May next after the date hereof, to be used in erecting a decent and convenient house for the worship of Almighty God according to the liturgy of the Church of England as by law established, on some convenient place in the town of Huntington; which money so to be raised and paid to the aforesaid Henry Lloyd, or order, shall be drawn out of his hands by the order of a com- mittee hereafter to be chosen by the major part of the subscribers for the carrying of ye building aforesaid."

The following amounts were subscribed and duly paid by the persons named:

Timothy Tredwell, £20; Dennis Wright, £3 95 .; Hannah Tredwell, £4; Isaiah Rogers, £20; Epenetus Platt, £5; William Nicoll jr., £2; Richard Floyd, £3; Samuel De Honcur, £1; Monsieur Veile, £10; George Weisser, £5; Joseph Scidmore, flo; John Saterly, £1; Isaac Brush, £20; Thomas Northaway, 56: Munson Goold, £; John Davis, £5; William Mott, £3; Thomas Jarvis, £5; Samuel Ackerly, £5; John Bennet, £3; Benjamin Tredwell, £3; Eliphalet Smith, £3; given by Mr. Tredwell and others toward raising, fr IIS .; total, £140 IS.

The contribution of Henry Lloyd was estimated at £145. Afterward a supplementary subscription was raised of £19 for glass for the windows, which was brought from Boston.

As the lot held by the church was small measures were taken to enlarge the premises, and a committee pur- chased surrounding land and held it as trustees for the church. In order to bring it fully under the control of the Church of England all the church lands were con- veyed by the trustees (Isaiah Rogers, Zophar Rogers, Jeremiah Rogers, Thomas Jarvis, Dr. Samuel Allen and John Bennett) to "The Venerable Society for the Propa- gation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," located at Lon- don, England. The land so conveyed comprised five acres more or less, and was "bounded on the north by the highway leading over the mill dam, west by land of Timothy Kelsey, south by Israel Wood, and east by land laid out for church yard and the land of Captain John Davis deceased." This parcel, known as the church "glebe lands," seems to have extended north of the pres- ent church ground to Mill Dam lane. This glebe had upon it a house, which was used afterward as a rectory

and is stated in a letter by Mr. Seabury to have been worth £200. This land had as early as 1680 been owned by Joseph Wood and was afterward sold by him to Thomas Jarvis. The house was on Mill Dam lane. Thomas Jarvis probably either donated or sold this property to the church.

With respect to the title it appears that the deeds of the glebe to the Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel were, about 1770, annulled and the title vested in the church wardens for the use of the society; but the pre- cise way in which it was done is not clear, nor do the names of such wardens appear. The following extract is found in Hawkins's Colonial History:

" In 1748 Mr. Seabury informed the society [for the Propagation of the Gospel] that at Huntington, a town about eighteen miles distant from Hempstead, a consid- erable number of people had conformed and built a church for the worship of God according to the liturgy of the Church of England; he had frequently officiated there, and at their request his son, who had been educat- ed at New Haven, read prayers and sermons under his direction. Such being the case he requested that his son, who would be recommended by the commissary, might be appointed by the society to be a catechist, with some small allowance. The society accordingly appointed Mr. Sam- uel Seabury junior to act in that capacity under the direction of his father, and allowed him a salary of £10 a year.'

Under date of October 5th 1750 Mr. Seabury writes: "Religion prospers, though infidels try to weaken it. The church at Huntington is also rendered very commo- dious, and a congregation of fifty or sixty persons and sometimes more constantly attend divine service there, who behave very devoutly and perform their part in di- vine worship very decently. They had taken from them in the last mortal sickness four of their most substantial members, who bore the principal part of building the church, which has very much weakened their ability; and they have desired me to ask of the society a folio Bible and Common Prayer Book for the use of the church."

In July 1752 Mr. Samuel Seabury went to Edinburgh to study medicine.

From a receipt given by Rev. Samuel Seabury in 1750 it appears that he first performed services at Huntington in the spring of 1749, and it appears from a letter written by his father about this time that Mr. Seabury was only 19 years old when he first officiated at Huntington. He afterward became bishop of Connecticut and the first bishop of the American church. After Mr. Seabury's return from Scotland he occasionally ministered at Hunt ington, though settled at Jamaica.

In 1763 Rev. E. D. Kneeland, a grandson of Rev. Dr. Johnson, was appointed reader here. About 1766 the Rev. Leonard Cutting, then settled at Hempstead, offici- ated here. The next year the Rev. James Greaton, who came from Christ's Church, Boston, was settled as the sole pastor over St John's church, and he continued until his death, in 1773. His widow, an accomplished lady, re- mained a year or two in the rectory on the glebe lands. Correspondence between her and Henry Lloyd of the manor of Queens shows great discontent on her part at having to pay rent for the premises, contrary to custom, and her inability to prevent the crops and fruits of the

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

place being destroyed by trespassers, added to which were financial difficulties. About two years after the death of Mr. Greaton she married Dr. Benjamin Y. Prime, and she lived 50 years after the death of her! second husband.

During the Revolutionary war the Rev. M. Rowland of New York entered upon the cure, but remained only a short time. The Rev. John C. Rudd was here from 1805 to 1814; the Rev. Charles Seabury, son of the bishop, from the latter date to 1820; Rev. Edward K. Fowler from 1823 to 1826; then Rev. Samuel Seabury, son of Charles Seabury, who remained from November 1826 to April 1827, making the representative of the fourth generation of that family in the cure.

After the above date church matters were in abeyance until August 6th 1834, when the Rev. Isaac Sherwood took charge of the mission and officiated alternately in this church and the school-house at Cold Spring Harbor. After his ordination to the priesthood, which occurred on the 29th of April 1835, the mission at Oyster Bay was under his care for a time also. The corner stone of St. John's church at Cold Spring Harbor was laid, by the bishop of the diocese, on the same day on which Mr. Sherwood was advanced to the priesthood, and the church was consecrated on the 5th of April 1837.

St. John's church in this village having been repaired, the parish was incorporated anew on the 7th of May 1838, and Mr. Sherwood continued as its rector until July 15th 1843. Since that time the following have been regularly connected with the cure for various terms:

Moses Marcus, September 1843 to October 1844; Charles H. Hall, April 1345 to April 1847; C. Donald Macleod, May 1847 to April 1848; Frederick W. Shelton, 1847 - -; William A. W. Maybin, August 1852 to Oc- tober 1856; William G. Farmington, November 1856 to April 1858; James H. Williams, August 1858 to April 1859; William J. Lynd, April 1859 to April 1860; Charles B. Ellsworth, November 1860 to November 1870; Alfred J. Barrow, May 1871 to May 1877; Thaddeus A. Snively, July 1877 to April 1878; N. Barrows, May 1878.

The old church, with its antiquated sounding board and seats with high straight backs, long ago disappeared, and in its place about 1861 the present edifice was erected. It is of the gothic style of architecture and an ornament to the village. The society about 1875 pur- chased more ground and built a very neat and commo- dious rectory.

What became of the glebe of the church does not ap- pear, as we find nothing concerning it after the widow of Mr. Greaton left. Whether by some device the title came into private hands, or in the long period after the opening of the Revolutionary war (in which the church had no rector) the lands were occupied and held ad- versely by persons without title, is yet an open question.

The foregoing statement is based on information de- rived from many sources, among them Moore's history of St. George's church, Hempstead; notes furnished by Rev. N. Barrows and Edward Kissam, and some original and hitherto unpublished papers from Henry Lloyd.

METHODISM IN HUNTINGTON.

About the time of John and Charles Wesley, the apos- tles of Methodism, several ministers of this denomina- tion preached in Huntington and found adherents. A camp meeting was held at a place near the cove, East Neck, in 1814. Isaac Platt, Gilbert Scudder and a few others commenced holding meetings at the harbor, and Joseph Crawford preached occasionally. Soon after this Ebenezer Washburn came here and preached in the house now occupied by Isaac W. Roe. A society was founded, which met in a building then owned by Mr. Coburn, since occupied by Mr. Walters as a cabinet shop. This was the beginning of Methodism in Hunt- ington.

A church was built about 1830 on Main street in the village, and the society has steadily increased in numbers and strength from that time to this. The first church was torn down in 1863, and in 1864 a new and more im- posing edifice, costing $5,244, took its place. The so- ciety has a parsonage, and is in prosperous circumstances.

Among the ministers who have occupied the pulpit of this church may be mentioned Rev. Moses Rogers, who preached here forty years ago and is now living at Crab Meadow, aged about 90 years. Since 1845 the following ministers have officiated here, in the order named: George W. Woodruff, Elbert Osborn, Isaac Sandford, David De Vinne, Henry Burton, Seth W. Scofield, Ed- win O. Bates, James McBride, James D. Bouton, Samnel T. Johnson, D. F. Hallock, Henry Aster, D. O. Ferris, William H. Thomas, J. Lavalle, John Cromlish, John H. Stansbury, E. R. Warriner, Lemuel Richardson, I. E. Smith.

The African Methodist church in Huntington was or- ganized about 40 years ago, at which time it purchased a building in the eastern part of the village. The society has ever since maintained itself and supported a min- ister.

THE FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY

in Huntington was organized in January 1836; the first trustees were Colonel Isaac Conklin, Zophar B. Oakley, Israel Scudder, James Bouton, Jarvis S. Lefferts, Ray- mond Sellick, Isaac S. Ketcham and William H. Sackett. Meetings were held in the school-house in the western part of the village. The desk was supplied by preachers from New York and vicinity up to October 1854. Rev. Porter Thomas, the first settled minister, was installed November 9th 1854. His successors assumed the pastor- ate as follows: Rev. Samuel Jenkins, November 1856; Rev. H. P. Crozier, April 1859; Rev. Eben Francis, August 1865: Rev. George H. Emerson, D.D., March 1867; Rev. R. C. Lansing, October 1872; Rev. I. P. Booth, July 1874; Rev. W. H. Hooper, July 1876; Rev. R. P. Ambler, January 1881.

The first church edifice, located on Nassau avenue near Main street, was erected in 1837 and was remodeled into a parsonage in 1868. In 1869 a lot was purchased on the corner of New York avenue and Elm street for a new church building. This was dedicated February 3d 1871.

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

The site was well chosen and the building is an ornament

Rev. Marmaduke Earle, who was during a large por- tion of the time from 1811 to 1856 pastor of the Baptist church at Oyster Bay, extended his labors as far as Cen- terport and prepared the way for the first Baptist church of Huntington, which was organized, with nine members, by Rev. D. A. Flandra, who served the church as its pastor for several years. This was previous to 1842, but the exact date is not known. This church, by permission of Bishop Hobart, met for a portion of each Sunday dur- ing a considerable period in the Episcopal house of wor- ship (now torn down). Then another building was secured, and converted into a house of worship. This Opposition to the Baptists made it difficult or impossible to secure church property more favorably situated. The membership increased to 19, but, unfavorably located and without wealth or influence, the church declined and finally ceased to exist.

In September 1868 the present Huntington Baptist church was organized with 19 menibers. In 1869 and 1870 they secured the lot and erected the building which they now occupy. Their first pastor was Rev. Lanson Stewart, who remained until 1875. He was followed by Rev. M. C. B. Oakley. who continued as pastor until October 188r. There is no pastor at present. The membership is 44.

THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH

in Huntington was built at an early period and was loca- ted on West Neck. In 1870 a new church was erected on Main street in the village of Huntington, at a cost of about $28,000. It is a large and handsome structure of brick, and its grounds are very tastefully laid out. Catholicism here is largely indebted to the enterprise and untiring exertions of Rev. J. J. Crowley for the great increase in members, strength and prosperity in his church during the many years in which he has officiated here. This church has a large membership.

SCHOOLS AT HUNTINGTON.

Many readers will remember the old Huntington Academy, standing on the hill near the center of the vil- lage of Huntington. It was in its day a monument of the enterprise and liberality of the generation who en- dured the trials of the Revolutionary war, for it was built about 1793, by an association of fifty of the leading citi- zens of Huntington. It was a two-story building with a belfry, and was quite an imposing edifice for the period in which it was built. It was outside of the common school system and was intended to and generally did furnish the means for a more liberal education than was provided by the surrounding common schools. It stood for more than 50 years, and many of the best educators

of the period taught generation after generation of Hunt- to the place. The society enjoys a reasonable degree of ington youths within its walls. It prepared for college prosperity. the sons of those who were ambitious to give their BAPTIST CHURCHES OF HUNTINGTON. children a liberal education. A complete list of the teachers employed in the earliest years as principals of the academy cannot now be obtained; among those of later years may be mentioned Dow Ditmas, John Rogers, Charles Nichols, Selah Hammond, Samuel Fleet, Mr. Rose, Mr. Branch, Ralph Bull, Addison L. Hunt, D. G. York, James H. Fenner, Horace Woodruff, Charles R. Street, John W. Leake and Israel C. Jones.

Most of those here who have reached middle life spent their school days in the old academy, and from it there went out many who have become leaders of men, eminent in the professions, in letters and in all the avo- cations of life. The academy was torn down about 1857 to make way for the present union school building. The stood on a cross road leading from Huntington Harbor bell from its tower, which rang out its tones over hill and to West Neck, and near the "Mutton Hollow " road. vale for fifty years calling together the boys and girls of Huntington, is now in the engine house of the Hunting- ton fire company.

In 1857 the three school districts in and near Hunting- ton village were united in one and the present school building erected. It was enlarged in 1870. It is con- trolled by the common school law, except as to a few special enactments, one of which substitutes for trustees a board of education composed of six members. Smith Woodhull was the first president of the board, and did much toward establishing the school and arranging its grades of instruction. The principals of the school from its commencement to this time have been as follows, in the order named:

A. S. Higgins, now of school No. 9 in Brooklyn; Joseph Gile, Charles Curtis, Charles G. Holyoke, Daniel O. Quimby, Charles H. Peck, Edward S. Hall. Mr. Hall is assisted by eleven teachers. The daily attendance of pupils is between 400 and 500.

The course of study is thorough, and extends into all the branches of learning essential in a preparation for college. The institution draws to Huntington many people who are desirous of providing first-class facilities for the ed- ucation of their children. The annual cost of maintain- ing this school is about $8,000.

Nathaniel Potter, a wealthy and highly respected cit- izen of Huntington who died in 1841, gave (besides $10,000 to the Presbyterian church) $10,000 to be used by trustees for educating the children of the poor in Huntington. This fund was first applied to the support, .in part, of the old academy, and later went to the union school; but when a few years afterward the free school system was established in this State, so that all schools were supported by a tax on property, the trustees of the Potter fund, believing this left no place for the applica- tion of the fund, declined to pay the annual interest toward the support of the union school. In 1870, after the accumulated interest on the Potter fund amounted to about $2,000, the board of education applied to the Leg- islature and procured the passage of a law authorizing and requiring the payment for the support of the union

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harle of Burr

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

school of the accumulated interest and the annual in- terest thereafter. The present trustees of the Potter fund are Ezra C. Prime, Stephen C. Rogers and James M. Brush.

JOURNALISM AT HUNTINGTON.

The town of Huntington has had its share of news- papers. The American Eagle was established in the village of Huntington in 1821 by Samuel A. Seabury. In May 1825 it was changed to the Long Island Journal of Philosophy and Cabinet of Variety and was edited and published by Samuel Fleet. In 1827 the name was changed to The Portico, and it was discontinued in 1829.

The Long Islander was started in 1838 by Walt Whitman, a native of West Hills in this town, who in later years has astonished the world with his poetical writings. Subsequently the Long Islander was published succes- sively by Edward O. Crowell, B. R. Platt, Francis A. Teal and George H. Shepard, and it is now edited and pub- lished by Charles E. Shepard.

The Suffolk Democrat was established in 1847 by Edward Strayhan, a young man of great ability and elo- quence, who died soon after. David C. Brush and Stephen C. Rogers afterward published the paper, until it was finally taken to Babylon and there edited many years by John R. Reid. In 1865 the paper was brought to Huntington, and published and edited by Charles R. Street until about 1871. Since that time it has been published successively by J. H. Woolhiser, Jesse L. Smith and Frank P. Downs.

LODGES AND SOCIETIES.

Rev. Jonathan Burr was born in Redgrave, Suffolk county, England, and graduated at Cambridge in 1627. In 1639 he came to America and settled in Dorchester, Mass., and he was the founder of the Dorchester branch The order of Free and Accepted Masons organized a lodge here, known as Huntington Lodge, No. 26, as early as 1793. It was chartered March 22nd of that year, with the following officers: Moses Blachley, W. M .; Peter Walters, S. W .; William M. Stuart and Benjamin Strong, J. W .; This lodge existed many years, but March 4th of the family. A fourth branch is found to have origin- ated at Mount Holly, New Jersey, by the settlement of Henry Burr in that town in 1682. Henry Burr was a Quaker and a personal friend of William Penn. Thus it will be seen that the Burr blood in the old country contained an extraordinary amount of push and adven- 1818 the grand lodge in New York, after reciting that ture, from the number and the character of its repre- the Huntington Lodge had treated with some disregard its order to pay back dues, made a further order that the lodge be suspended and that the grand secretary take in charge the warrants, books, funds, furniture and jewels. It is presumed that this was done.

Jephtha Lodge, No. 494, was chartered June 7th 1860. The charter members were W. W. King, David Carll, Jesse Carll, John H. Jarvis, Phineas B. Sills and Charles A. Floyd. This lodge is still in existence and said to be in a flourishing condition.

A lodge of Odd Fellows was incorporated here May IIth 1876, with fifty-three members and the following officers: F. W. Gallon, N. G .; D. Pearsall, V. G .; C. S. Adams, Sec .; B. Freidman, Treas .; F. A. Johnson, P. G.

About 1843, temperance societies were very active and aggressive. Speakers were brought here from abroad, public meetings were frequent, and unusual excitement was created on the subject. In some parts of the town hotel keepers, in compliance with the popular enthusiasm, rolled their stock of liquor into the street and made bon-

fires, around which temperance songs were sung and speeches made. This excitement continued several years; the matter assumed a political aspect, and the question of license of the sale of liquor or no license was submitted to vote. May 19th 1846 the vote at a town meeting was -for license 505, against license 483. In 1847 a similar vote resulted-for license 598, against license 478.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

CARLL S. BURR.

Few names in American history have been more widely known than the name of Burr. Originally of German origin, when it was spelled Beur, it changed during five centuries of its possessors' residence on English soil to its present harsher and more positive form. In this country it dates back with certainty to the year 1630, when Jehu Burr came over with Winthrop's famous fleet that brought 800 people, and lived for a while in Rox- bury, Mass. Thence he went with seven other young men and their families and founded the village of Aga- wam, now the city of Springfield. Eight years afterward the again moved, and in 1644 settled in Fairfield, Conn., for life. By this third and last removal he became the founder of the Fairfield branch of the Burr family. In 1635 Benjamin Burr settled in Hartford and became the founder of the Hartford branch.

sentatives appearing as pioneers in the New World. From sturdy parents we expect sturdy children, and this family proves that rule. One of the ablest and most distinguished men America has ever produced bore the name of Aaron Burr. It is not denied that he had great faults, but it is boldly asserted that those he had were greatly exaggerated, and that some faults he did not have were falsely charged to him. History, which in time is sure to do justice to all its subjects, is slowly but surely lifting the cloud that has hung so long over his name. Even now a distinguished lawyer and author, of western New York, is contributing a series of able articles (L. B. Proctor in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) in defense of this greatly maligned man, that are attracting wide-spread attention. This is only history repeating it- self. Strong characters of every age and nation have received the envy and persecution of weak and average men, who have the public ear and who are sure to fill it. No man or woman who bears the name of Burr need blush over the sum total of Aaron Burr's life. It had

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

vastly more of good than of bad in it, and that is the only test that will save any reputation. Even the char- acter of Daniel Webster is struggling through the same ordeal to-day.

Carll S. Burr belongs to the seventh generation of the Hartford branch of the Burr family. His father, Smith Burr, was born at Comac, in the town of Huntington, September 22nd 1803. Maurice Burr, the father of Smith, born in 1764, and Isaac Burr, the father of Maurice, born in 1736, were also natives of the same town. Joseph Burr, the father of Isaac, and Thomas Burr, the father of Joseph, were both born in Hartford, Conn. Thomas was born January 26th 1645. The father of Thomas was Benjamin Burr, the founder of the Hartford branch of the family.

Smith Burr, the father of Carll, was a farmer and at one time kept a hotel at Comac. Later he became in- terested in breeding horses and owned some of the best horses of his time. Among them were "Betsey Bounce," "Napoleon," "Washington," "Rhode Island " and "Columbus." Two colts by " Napoleon " (and full sis- ters) were bought by an admirer of Louis Napoleon and sent to Paris, where they were driven and highly prized by the French emperor in his palmy days. Smith never gave much attention to training horses for trotting, but he had excellent judgment in such matters, and was very successful and noted as a breeder. He is still alive, residing in Brooklyn. His first wife was Huldah Soper, whom he married January 10th 1824. His children by her were: Emeline, born November 25th 1825; Ann M., born November 25th 1827; Eliza, born March 18th 1730; Carll S., born April 30th 1831; George P., born July 25th 1833; and Elizabeth, born July 25th 1833. His wife Huldah died in 1836. His second wife was Lavinia Soper, of New York.

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